Tumbler lock



H. F. GEORGE Dec. 29, 1964 TUMBLER LOCK Filed Sept. 17, 1962 720447 rrzqylYarr feary J .2 R. (H 7 United States Patent Ofiice 3,163,34 Patented Dec. 29, 1964 3,163,034 TUMBLER LQQK Harry F. George, Park Ridge, ill. (919 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago 11, Iii.) Filed Sept. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 223,914 12 Claims. (Cl. 70-419) This invention relates to an improved tumbler lock for doors and similar structures, and while especially adapted for use in metal doors, it is also applicable for use in doors or the like made of Wood or other suitable material.

While lock pickers are ever seeking additional skill in lock picking, it is well known that at times they display considerable skill in picking some locks of the tumbler pin type that are considered rather difiicult to pick. In general they endeavor to determine the breaking position for each longitudinal set of pins by exerting a turning pressure between the locking plug and the barrel and at the same time moving the [tumbler pins slidably, the breaking position being determined by a slight click and by a slight suggestion of a further rotational movement of the locking plug with relation to the barrel. If the thief is successful in determining the breaking position of one or more of the longitudinal sets of tumbler pins, he might succeed in moving the entire set of tumblers to reaking position by such feeling actions, and pick or unlock the lock. In the present invention however, I have made it impossible for a thief to pick this new lock.

Among the objects of my invention are: to provide a new and improved tumbler lock; to provide an improved tumbler lock that is not capable of being picked by a thief or anyone without the key; to provide an improved turnbler lock that can be manufactured as a self-contained unit with no adjustments being necessary during installation in the door; to provide an improved tumbler lock that is economical to manufacture, easy to install, efiicient and reliable in operation, pleasing in appearance, and sturdy in construction; and such further objects, advantages and capabilities, inherently possessed by my invention, as will later more fully appear.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have shown therein a preferred embodiment I wish it understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged, vertical, longitudinal section of the line 11 of FIG. 3, of the lock mechanism disconnected from the door, and showing in elevation the key in applied position ready for turning to unlock the lock.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, horizontal, longitudinal section on the line 22 of FIG. 3, but showing the key fragmentarily in longitudinal central section and partly removed from the lock.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4- of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section on the line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the key fully inserted into the lock ready for turning to unlock the lock.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, side elevational detail of the pin-lock-device for preventing picking the lock by longitudinal sliding of the tumbler pins.

FIG. 8 is a plan view looking toward the left-hand side of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view looking toward the key-end of an annularly grooved tumbler pin, showing it and a portion of the pin-lock-device in the position they occupy when the key is removed, or partially removed as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, but showing a further position of the pin-lock-device to prevent picking of the lock.

The important feature of the present application is the provision of means for preventing a thief from picking the lock, but as will be understood, the same may be applied to diiferent structural forms without departing from the inventive idea. In the form shown in the drawing, for illustrative purposes only, the lock comprises generally a locking plug having a shaft 1 and a pin block 2 which are fixed to rotate together when a key 3 is inserted and turned, and a barrel 4 fixed by a screw 5 or other suitable means to the shell d which will be stationarily fixed to the door in any suitable manner. The shaft is fixed by a pin or the like 7 to the extension shaft 6 so that these parts rotate together when the key is rotated in the lock. From this it is seen that the extension shaft 8 is rotatably mounted in the cylindrical longitudinal central hole h in the barrel 4, for operating any suitable locking mechanism desired.

The shell 6, at its key end, is formed with an inwardly extending annular flange 10 having at its inner edge, at each of its diametrically opposite points, a longitudinally extending slot or notch to receive a projection 11 on the key, depending upon the position of the key in the key hole.

The pin block 2, which, as stated, is fixed to rotate with shaft 1, is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending openings in which are longitudinally slidably mounted tumbler pins 12, these openings extending entirely longitudinally through pin block 2. Similar longitudinal openings carrying turnbler pins 13, are formed in the barrel 4, except that the latter openings do not extend entirely through the barrel and have a coil spring in the bottom of each opening to normally urge the tumbler pins forwardly toward the key end of the lock.

As is well known in the art these tumbler pins are arranged in a series of pairs that are in longitudinal alinement when the key is removed. Also these pins are of various lengths so that when the key is fully inserted in the lock, the bittings 14 in the key, which are of pre determined lengths, Will move the tumbler pins such distances as to bring the abutting ends of each pair into registry with the parting plane 15 between the barrel 4 and the pin block 2 to permit rotation of the pin block with relation to the barrel when the key is fully inserted and turned.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, the key end of the shell 6 is also formed with an annular shoulder 16 against which the outer ends of the tumbler pins 12 abut when the key is removed from contact with the pins, see FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, it will be seen that the shaft 1 at its outer end is formed with a head 17 whose outer end surface is in lateral alinement with the outer end surface of the shell and concentric with the outer end hole of the shell and of less diameter to receive the key. Head 17 is formed on its outer periphery with a longitudinally extending slot or notch 18 to slidably receive the spline l9 fixed to the inside of the key 3 to extend longitudinally therein. Extending between head 17 and inner end portion of shaft is a neck 2% longitudinally along the periphery of which continues the slot or notch 18 of head 1'7. Neck 2%) is of slightly less diameter than head 17, and of slightly greater diameter than inner end portion of shaft 1, the diameter of neck preferably slightly and progressively decreasing from head 17 to inner end portion of shaft 1 for a purpose later more fully explained.

Shell 6, in approximately the same plane as. that of the inner end of neck 20, is formed with an internal annular shoulder 21 against which slidably abuts the outer end of pin block 2. The spline 19 is positioned directly inside of the key from the projection 11, so that when the key is fully inserted, the turning of the key will turn the locking plug through the spline 19, but the projection 11 will rotate in the space underneath the flange it) of the shell.

One of the tumbler pins in pin block 2 is free of any circumferental groove so as to give greater stability to the action of the parts and prevent undue twisting or displacement of parts with relation to each other. Such full sized pin is shown at 12 in FIG. 1. The remaining pins 12 in the pin block 2 are each formed adjacent its key end with a circumferential groove 22, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, which grooves, when the key is removed,

are positioned radially opposite the neck 28.

Seated around the neck 29 is a pin-lock-device 23, shown in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8, formed of a suitable flexible resilient material, as for example spring bronze, spring brass, spring steel, or other material suitably adapted for the purposes intended. While I prefer such material to be approximately of from 12 to 15 thousandths of an inch thick, I do not wish to be limited to this. precise thickness as other thicknesses might produce usable results. This pin-lock-device 23 has a central hollow hub 24 pressed integrally from the base 25, both the base and the hub having a continuous radial slot 26 extending from the periphery of the base to the top of the hub and of a width slightly greater than the thickness of spline 1% in a circumferential direction. Slot 26 being continuous through one side of the base and the hub affords a greater degree of flexibility to the device during operation.

The side wall of the hub 24, and the base 25, of the pin-lock-device normally form an angle to each other of approximately 90 degrees, as seen in FIGS. 2 and '7. The base is formed with a number of holes 27 corresponding to the number of tumbler pins in the pin block 2, and circumferentially spaced and so shaped as to enable relative movement between the pin block tumbler pins and the pin-lock-device for purposes later more fully described. The holes 27 are each slightly elongated in a direction radially of the pin block 2, so that when the key has been partially pushed into the lock, the entry of the key, see FIG. 2, will contact with the side walls of the hub 24, which flare outwardly at a slight angle, which swings said side walls inwardly into a position parallel with the longitudinal axis of rotation of the key, and at the same time swings the base 25 into a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation of the key, see FIG. 6. Continued inward pushing of the key will then cause the hitting ends to move the tumbler pins inwardly through the holes 27 with their full diameter, so as to move the tumbler pins to bring their adjacent ends to the parting plane 15, will be understood in FIG. 6.

The outer edge 28 of the outer end of the hub 24 is rolled to give it a rounded or beveled formation, a similar formation being also formed on the inner edge 29 of the leading end of the key, so as to insure that these two edges will have free slidable engagement with each other and not stop movement of the key as it passes thereby, see FIGS. 2, 6 and 7.

Referring to FIG. 9, which is a plan View looking toward the key end of one of the tumbler pins 12 and a fragmentary adjacent portion of the base 25 of the pinlock-device 23, this view shows these parts in the position they will occupy when the key is removed, and the key not available to a thief. At this time the pin-lockdevice will be free of the key pressure, and will be expanded and swung outwardly due to its inherent resiliency, into its normal relaxed position shown in FIG.

2, which carries the base 25 outwardly and at an angle toward the key end of the pin. This outward movement of the base 25 carries the radially inward edge of the hole 27 of base 25 a slight distance into the corresponding circumferential groove 22 of pin 12, and beneath the inner edge of the adjacent shoulder formed by said groove, as shown by the dotted line 3t? in FIG. 9. This accordingly prevents inward movement of the tumbler pins by a thief and thus prevents picking of the lock when the key is removed.

Also, when the key is out, and the pin-lock-device 23 is in the position seen in FIG. 2, if a thief should insert an instrument into the key slot and push inwardly on the pin-lock-device he would move the base 25 into the position shown in FIG. 6, but due to the neck 28 being slightly tapered inwardly he would, thnough side-wise manipulation of said instrument push the side wall of the hub 24 further in toward said neck 26', and draw the outer edge portions of the hole 27 a slight distance radially inwardly into the circumferential groove 22 and beneath the outer edge of the adjacent shoulder formed by said groove. This would draw the outer edge portions of the hole 27 into the dotted line positions 31 shown in FIG. 10. This would again prevent the pins 12 from being pushed inwardly to bring their inner ends to the parting plane 15. Should the thief exert excessive pressure on any of the tumbler pins 12 when the parts are in either of the positions shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, he would so distort the respective edges of the hole 27 that it would be impossible for him to again move the pin. outwardly.

Due to the pin 12, shown in FIG. I, being free of any circumferential groove, its corresponding hole 27', see FIG. 8, is slightly longer radially of the pin-lockdevice than holes 27 for the other pins 12, so as to prevent any cramping of the base 25 against the ungrooved pin 12' which might interfere with the entry of the edges of holes 27 into the circumferential grooves 22 of pins 12.

It should be kept in mind that the holes 27 and 27' when in their mid or neutral position with the key fully inserted, as will be understood in FIG. 6, are of a size to permit free sliding movement therethrough of the full diameter of pins 12 and 12', to permit these pins to be moved longitudinally inwardly to breaking position with their inner ends at the parting plane 15. The slight extra lengths of elongated holes 27 makes possible the movement of a portion of the hole edge into its respective circumferential groove for locking purposes, without cramping action against the pins. It is thus seen that the pin-lock-device base 25 acts in the nature of a pedal which swings outwardly and upwardly when the key is withdrawn, and inwardly and downwardly when the key is inserted.

The key end of the pin-lock-device 23 is freely mounted on the key end of the neck 20 so as to have the necessary freedom for the contraction and expansion this device is adapted to have during its operation. The slot 26 will always be in position to receive the spline 19 because of the tumbler pin 12 being free of any circumferential grooves, thus holding the pin-lock-device against undue twisting action with relation to the neck 2%. The pinlock-device is shown in its relaxed expanded position in FIG. 2, somewhat exaggerated for clarity, and as explained earlier herein it is contracted inwardly when the key is inserted into the lock.

As will be understood the term locking plug, as used herein, applies to the shaft 1 with its head 17 and neck 26, and the pin block 2 fixed to rotate with shaft 1, these parts rotating together as a unit, and the term pin-lock-device refers to the device which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in its normal relaxed position which it assumes when free of any pressure from the key, also see FIG. 2.

From the above it is thus seen that it would be impossible for a thief to pick the lock of the present invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A key-operated tumbler lock, comprising:

a rotatable locking plug having tumbler pins slidable therein;

a stationary barrel having tumbler pins slidable therein;

said plug and barrel pins meeting in a parting plane when the key is fully inserted in the lock;

spring means for normally urging the tumbler pins to move toward the key end of the lock; some of the tumbler pins in the locking plug having a circumferential groove;

and a pin-lock-device mounted on the locking plug and having a hub and base standing at approximately ninety degrees to each other, the hub being loosely mounted at its outer end on the locking plug and flared radially outwardly therefrom in a direction inwardly of the key end of the lock when the key is out, the base at this time extending outwardly and upwardly into the circumferential grooves to prevent movement of the tumbler pins inwardly to the parting plane.

2. A tumbler lock as claimed in claim 1, in which the base and hub are formed with interconnecting slots, and the hub is resiliently bent inwardly and the base moved out of the grooves when the key is inserted into the lock.

3. A tumbler lock as claimed in claim 2, in which the locking plug has a shaft with a head and slightly tapered neck, the pin-lock-device being mounted on the larger end of the neck;

so that when the key is out of the lock and if a thief should pry the hub radially inwardly at the smaller end of the neck, the outer edge of the elongated hole would move inwardly into the circumferential groove and prevent pushing inwardly the adjacent tumbler pin to the parting plane.

4. A key-operated tumbler lock, comprising:

a rotatable locking plug having tumbler pins longitudinally slidable therein and a shaft having a head and a tapered neck;

a stationary barrel having tumbler pins longitudinally slidable therein;

a shell fixed to said barrel;

resilient means for normally urging the tumbler pins to move toward the key end of the lock;

some of the tumbler pins in the locking plug having a circumferential groove formed therein;

and a pin-lock-device having a hollow hub and a base, the key end of the hollow hub being mounted on said neck and the base extending radially outwardly from the other end of the hub, said pin-lock-device being made of thin spring material;

said hub and base having interconnecting slots at one side to enable said pin-lock-device to be contractible and expandible;

said hub flaring outwardly toward its base end with its base end spaced from said neck when the key is out;

said base having a number of circumferentially spaced holes one for each of the tumbler pins in the locking plug, each of said holes being slightly elongated radially of the pin-lock-device to have its neutral position of a size to slidably receive the full diameter of the tumbler pins and extending radially inwardly and outwardly therefrom, so that when the key is inserted the hub will contract to permit longitudinal movement of the pins in said holes, and when the key is out the inner edge margins of the holes will enter said grooves to prevent movement of the pins to breaking position, and further contracting of the base end of the hub by a person without a proper key will draw the outer edge margins of the holes into the grooves to prevent said person without a proper key from moving the pins to breaking position.

5. A pin-lock-device for tumbler locks, comprising:

a hollow hub;

a base fixed to said hub to extend laterally outwardly therefrom at one end;

said hub and base being formed of thin spring material;

each of said hub and base having a radially extending slot, said slots interconnecting at their adjacent ends whereby the pin-lock-device will be contractible and expandible;

said hub normally standing in a position flared outwardly from its free end to its base end, and the base normally standing at a slight upward angle from a plane passing through the base end of the hub;

and said base having a number of radially elongated circumferentially spaced holes therein.

6. A key-operated tumbler lock, comprising:

a rotatable shaft;

a pin block fixed to rotate with said shaft;

a plurality of tumbler pins longitudinally slidable in said pin block;

a barrel;

a shell fixed to the barrel;

a plurality of tumbler pins longitudinally slidable in said barrel;

spring means for normally urging said tumbler pins to move toward the key end of the lock;

some of the tumbler pins in the pin block having a circumferential groove;

and a pin-lock-device between said shaft and said grooves for enabling longitudinal movement of the tumbler pins to breaking position when the key is being inserted into the lock, and locking the grooved tumbler pins against being pushed inwardly to breaking position when the key is out of the lock, the pinlock-device being made of thin resilient flexible material having an angularly positioned base and hub.

7. A tumbler lock as claimed in claim 6, in which the pin-lock-device base is formed with holes for slidably receiving the full diameter of each tumbler pin in the pin block when the key is fully inserted, each of said holes being radially elongated with relation to the pin-lockdevice.

8. A key-operated tumbler lock, comprising:

a rotatable locking plug having tumbler pins longitudinally slidable therein;

a stationary barrel having tumbler pins longitudinally slidable therein;

resilient means for normally urging the tumbler pins to move toward the key end of the lock;

some of the tumbler pins in the locking plug having a circumferential groove formed therein;

and a pin-lock-device mounted on the locking plug for movement into said circumferential grooves when the key is removed from the lock, to prevent the grooved tumbler pins from being pushed inwardly to breaking position without use of the key, the pinlock-device being formed with a base and a hub, the hub being resiliently flexible to be moved to a position parallel with the axis of rotation of the key when the key is inserted into the lock which carries the base to a position approximately at right angles to the axis of rotation of the key to permit the tumbler pins to be pushed inwardly to breaking position.

9. A tumbler lock as claimed in claim 8, in which said base and hub of the p-in-lock-device are each formed with a radial slot, said slots interconnecting with each other.

10. A key-operated tumbler lock, comprising:

a rotatable shaft;

a pin block fixed to rotate with said shaft;

a plurality of tumbler pins longitudinally slidable in said pin block;

a bar-rel;

a shell fixed to the barrel;

a plurality of tumbler pins longitudinally slidable in said barrel;

spring means for normally urging said tumbler pins to move toward the key end of the lock;

some of the tumbler pins in the pin block having a circumferential groove;

and a pin-loek-device between said shaft and said grooves, said pin-lock-deviee having a resilient member mounted at one end on the shaft and extending longitudinally of the shaftwith its other end swingably movable toward and away from the shaft, and provided at its movable end with a laterally and outwardly extending member projecting into said grooves when the key is out of the lock and free of said grooves when the key is in the lock. 1

11. A key-operated tumbler lock, comprising:

a rotatable locking plug having a shaft and longitudinally slidable tumbler pins;

a stationary barrel having tumbler pins longitudinally slidable therein;

resilient means for normally urging the tumbler pins to move toward the key end of the look;

some of the tumbler pins in the locking plug having a circumferential groove formed therein;

and a pin-lock-device having a flexible member mounted at one end on said shaft and extending longitudinally of the shaft with its free end movable toward and away from said shaft, the flexible member having a resilient hub for normally urging said free end a distance away from the shaft when the key is out of the lock, said flexible member having adjacent its free end a laterally and outwardly projecting member which extends into said grooves when the key is out of the lock to prevent the grooved tumbler pins from being pushed inwardly to breaking position without the proper key.

12. A key-operated tumbler lock, comprising:

a rotatable locking plug having tumbler pin-s slidable therein, and a shaft;

a stationary barrel having tumbler pins slidable therein;

means for normally urging the tumbler pins to move toward the key end of the lock;

some of the tumbler pins in the locking plug having a circumferential groove formed therein;

and a pin-lock-device having a circumferentially curved resiliently flexible member mounted at one end on the shaft and when the key is out of the lock having a free end spaced at an angle away from the shaft but movable toward and away from the shaft, and an outwardly extending member on the free end of the flexible member, whereby, when the key is out of the lock said outwardly extending member will enter said grooves to prevent movement of the tumbler pins to breaking position, and when the key is in the look said outwardly extending member will be disengaged from said grooves to permit movement of the tumbler pins to breaking position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 51,152 11/65 Deitz 70-363 30 ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner. 

6. A KEY-OPERATED TUMBLER LOCK, COMPRISING: A ROTATABLE SHAFT; A PIN BLOCK FIXED TO ROTATE WITH SAID SHAFT; A PLURALITY OF TUMBLER PINS LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID PIN BLOCK; A BARREL; A SHELL FIXED TO THE BARREL; A PLURALITY OF TUMBLER PINS LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID BARREL; SPRING MEANS FOR NORMALLY URGING SAID TUMBLER PINS TO MOVE TOWARD THE KEY END OF THE LOCK; SOME OF THE TUMBLER PINS IN THE PIN BLOCK HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE; AND A PIN-LOCK-DEVICE BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND SAID GROOVES FOR ENABLING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE TUMBLER PINS TO BREAKING POSITION WHEN THE KEY IS BEING INSERTED INTO THE LOCK, AND LOCKING THE GROOVED TUMBLER PINS AGAINST BEING PUSHED INWARDLY TO BREAKING POSITION WHEN THE KEY IS OUT OF THE LOCK, THE PINLOCK-DEVICE BEING MADE OF THIN RESILIENT FLEXIBLE MATERIAL HAVING AN ANGULARLY POSITIONED BASE AND HUB. 